Breakfast Recipes

Varalakshmi Viratham Pooja - FAQs

I have been receiving lot of questions and comments based on my post on Varalakshmi Viratham Pooja. I tried to collate all the questions and provided the responses here. These are based on my best knowledge and the tradition that has been followed in our family. The tradition may vary across the families and I strongly recommend you to follow the traditions which are being followed in your family. The responses here are just for guidance only.

Image Courtesy : www.giri.in

Can pregnant women perform this Pooja?

a.Till 5th month of pregnancy period, we
can perform the pooja. After that, it is considered as theetu so not advisable
to perform the pooja

2.When do we need to move the kalasam?

a.The next day we need to move the amman in north
direction and keep milk as neivedhyam and then after 10 minutes, we can remove
the kalasam and keep it in rice box

3.Do we need to put the Amman's face together with
jewellery in the rice pot or only the coconut

a.Yes, along with the amman’s face, we keep the
kalasam inside the rice pot. After we keep milk for neivedhyam in night, we
need to move the amman along with kalasam inside the rice drum. The next day,
we can remove the amman with kalasam and store it in their original places.

4.What can we do with the coconut and the rice in
kalasam?

a.Generally we use the rice and coconut for making
Krishna Jayanthi Neivedhyam dishes.

5.Where to keep the amman mugham after Pooja?

a.In the evening, we need to do neivedhyam again
and in the night, we have to keep milk as neivedhyam and shift the amman mugham
with the kalasam inside the rice bag / drum

6.Can we use the dolls for the vratham that are
available in the market ? Can we reuse them next year?

a.Generally we use amman face made out of silver.
Many of us also use coconut to decorate the amman face. You can try using a coconut.

7.Can we start doing the Pooja all by ourselves?

a.If it is the first time, this viratham has to be
started by an elderly women (MIL or Mom) who is already doing this Pooja.
That's the tradition. But if you stay abroad without your close relation, then
with your MIL or mom consent, you can take the Pooja from an elderly women near
your house or from a priest.

8.What if I get period and not able to do the Pooja?

a.You can very well perform the whole Pooja the
next friday

9.After decorating the amman and vefore starting
the Pooja, if periods start, what needs to be done?

a.We can’t keep the decorated amman wait for a
week. So you can ask your spouse to dismantle the amman and you can again redo
the alankaram / decoration and make all neivedhyam dishes and perform the Pooja
the next friday

10.Unfortunately, If someone in the family expired
in the same year, can we do the Pooja?

a.As per the tradition, if someone in the family
from husband’s side expired, then, we should not perform the Pooja that year.
If it is from your side, then if it is more than 13 days and its your in-laws
custom to perform the Pooja then you can continue.

Home Maker. Born in a Brahmin family in Kallidaikurichi, Tirunelveli District. Inherited the secret of making tastier brahmin recipes from her mom and mother in law. Expertise in preparing Tirunelveli, Nagercoil and Kerala Food Stuffs.Now settled in Chennai with my son and daughter-in-law. Along with my DIL Sowmya Venkatachalam, I publish all the recipes. Sowmya is now fully taken up the responsibility and I am guiding her as she has a lot of passion to cooking.

Thank you so much. I am really very happy to hear this as i ve been asking many people including my family vadhyar. We are basically palakkad iyers, and vadhyar said as we don't have, we shouldn't do the vratam. Anyways thank you so much. I have one more question. As you said anyone can start, will all the formalities like nombu, vratam, neivedhyam, procedures will be same or is there anything different for a beginner or who don't have? Regards..Srividya, Bangalore.

Mami, i was going through all your blogs, in certain blog you have mentioned that we have to take permission from MIL before starting. As I already mentioned earlier my family vadhyar said we should not do and my MIL generally follows whatever he says. I will try to convince her, but worried if she doesn't agree. Regards, Srividya, Bangalore.

I just wanted to know if their permission is must and as I don't stay with them, it hardly makes any difference, but my concern is should this vratam be performed only after seeking elders' consent. I am clarifying this because when I do the pooja, I want to do whole heartedly and on yearly basis.Thanks and Regards. Srividya

Useful information!!! It is believed that performing Varalakshmi Homam on Varalakshmi Vrat day is equal to Worshipping Ashtalakshmi’s- the eight goddess. Varalakshmi homam is performed for the purpose of gaining wealth. To know more Click here

Mami, my father in laws brother passed away and so no festival for one year. As I cannot do varalakshmi vratham at home, can I go to my friends or neighbours house to do it. If so, how I have to do in their house. Just put Pushpam and tie the chardu or I can sit along with them and do the Pooja. Please advise. Thank you.